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...but grounding the entire fleet is uncalled for. It isn't like they are going to find an inherent problem with all the shuttles that only shows up after 107 shuttle missions.

From a pilots perspective, you comment needs reconsideration. Understanding failure mechanisms in a complex system is crucial to reducing risks, even more so when lives are at stake. I can almost guarrantee you that of those 107 flights, not a single one was launched under identical conditions, with exactly the same hardware at the same stage in its life cycle, with identical software builds, same temperature exposures to tiles and adhesives, carried identical payloads that structurally stressed the airframe, etc. A system like the shuttle is dynamic over its life, and what was safe on flight one may not be safe on flight 28.

The proper course of action is to ground the fleet. The obvious problem with the grounding is that it will be many months, if not years before we can 'safely' fly again.

Understanding failure mechanisms in a complex system is crucial to reducing risks, even more so when lives are at stake.

There was a horrible car wreck that I saw on the way home from church today. Do you suppose we should ground all of our automobiles until we have fully investigated all of the possible causes. Thank God Orville Wright, Chuck Yeager and all those brave explorers and pioneers in aviation didn’t have your approach to space exploration and discovery. There have only been two fatal mishaps involving the shuttle in 107 tries. I am sure the B-17 crews over Europe in WWII would take those odds any day.

The obvious problem with the grounding is that it will be many months, if not years before we can 'safely' fly again.

No vehicles are "safe". There are only degress of safety.

NASA and the astronaut corps have always known the danger. And they know it's worth going even if some crews draw the short straw.